积重难返 jī zhòng nán fǎn

DEFINITIONS

  1. ingrained habits are hard to overcome (idiom); bad old practices die hard

CHARACTERS

积 jī
HSK 4
accumulate, store up, amass
重 zhòng
HSK 3
heavy, weighty; double
难 nán
HSK 3
difficult, arduous, hard; unable
返 fǎn
HSK 5
return, revert to, restore